TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Trope Finder

Go To

The TVTropes Trope Finder is where you can come to ask questions like "Do we have this one?" and "What's the trope about...?" Trying to rediscover a long lost show or other medium but need a little help? Head to Media Finder and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at the Trope Launch Pad.

Find a Trope:

Describe the Trope:


Bisected8 MOD (Primordial Chaos)
2014-12-12 14:40:44

Stupidity Is the Only Option? Letting the spy plane live might not be stupid In-Universe, but it is if you have the player's external knowledge.

NB: Technically you still would have violated a direct order, which might make the outcome of doing so moot...

Edited by Bisected8 TV Tropes's No. 1 bread themed lesbian. she/her, fae/faer
SolipSchism Since: Jun, 2014
2014-12-12 14:48:53

Violating a direct order is relevant, but if war is declared immediately afterward, I expect you'd be let off pretty lightly.

Maybe related to You Can't Thwart Stage One, or Script Breaking/Sequence Breaking, but none of them seem quite right.

Scorpion451 (Edited uphill both ways)
2014-12-13 10:01:02

Agree with Bisected8, the ace combat one would be a non example of this because there are extraneous factors like violation of orders leading to a Non-Standard Game Over

I think there's quite a bit of Hero Must Survive in this, but you might have a variant, or sister/sub trope in <Villain> Must Survive or <NPC> Must Survive outside of the normal Escort Mission context.

Edited by Scorpion451
DAN004 Since: Aug, 2010
2014-12-13 12:07:12

Sounds like Event Flag (in this case, someone is not considered a villain until an event show up)

MAX POWER KILL JEEEEEEEEWWWWW
SolipSchism Since: Jun, 2014
2014-12-15 09:17:53

^ and ^^ makes sense to a point. But I feel like Villain Must Survive or NPC Must Survive would, if they existed as tropes, necessarily include the reasoning that the character is important in some way, either to plot or gameplay. In cases like I'm describing, the character will shortly either escape, never to be encountered again, or promptly be shot down when, a moment later, the order is given. But I suppose I should find an example that doesn't include military orders from a superior, since that adds extra context that isn't part of the core idea.

Edited by SolipSchism
DAN004 Since: Aug, 2010
2014-12-15 16:40:13

Ah, I just found Plot Armor. The armor is especially prominent here, cuz you can try killing the character (since this is a game) and you won't succeed (though this is subverted once in Metal Gear Solid), until the right time.

MAX POWER KILL JEEEEEEEEWWWWW
SolipSchism Since: Jun, 2014
2014-12-16 08:43:03

^ Would that cover situations where you technically can kill them but it results in an instant failure? I feel like it would cover it, and if so, it's exactly what I'm looking for.

Specialist290 Since: Jan, 2001
2014-12-16 09:35:32

That'd cover it. It's basically But Thou Must! enforcing Plot Armor by means of a Non-Standard Game Over.

Edited by Specialist290
SolipSchism Since: Jun, 2014
2014-12-16 10:08:15

^ Got it. Thanks all.

Top